Day 1 Friday: Depart your home town:
Fly to Miami and connect on an over night flight to Buenos Aires Argentina. Welcome to the warmth of the southern Hemisphere in summer.
Day 2 Saturday: Travel to Trevelin, Patagonia Argentina
Early morning arrival in Buenos Aires. Change airports and catch another flight to Bariloche or Esquel, Argentina. From Bariloche, a luxury bus can take you on a beautiful drive along the Patagonian lakes and mountains to Esquel. It is 20 minutes taxi ride from the bus station to your hotel in Trevelin. If you fly direct to Esquel you can arrive in Trevelin (35 minute taxi ride from the airport) with some time to enjoy the area. Trevelin, Argentina is a Welsh mountain village just 45 minutes from the Futaleufu River in Chile. Trevelin is also serviced by a private transfer service direct from Bariloche airport (4 hrs) to your hotel in Trevelin. After you check into a hotel in this charming village you are walking distance to several superb restaurants. Unwind, relax, and get a good nights sleep before the start of you trip 9:00 am the next morning.
Day 3 Sunday: Swiftwater Rescue Training
After a good breakfast we start with our three-day Swiftwater Rescue Technician class at Campo Tres Monjas. This swiftwater training course is approximately 30 hours total with 8 hours in the classroom and approximately 22 hours in the field. The close proximity of the river makes for more time spent working on drills and skills than getting there. The morning starts off in the classroom with a lecture. In the afternoon we are on the Rio Azul with rescue scenarios.
Day 4 Monday: Swiftwater Rescue Training
We will work the field rescue scenarios on the Rio Azul and the mini gorge upstream of the camp. Late in the afternoon (conditions permitting) we start guide training on the introduction section of the Rio Futaleufu. Participants of the class will be in paddle rafts with one of our oarsman in the rear mount for the class's first run down the Bridge to Bridge stretch of the Futaleufu. This evening we review the strategies of the run and decide who will start on the oars of the catarafts and rafts the following day.
Day 5 Tuesday: Swiftwater Rescue Training
The final day of Swiftwater Rescue Training will be held near the confluence of the Rio Azul and the Rio Futaleufu. After lunch we take our exam for certification. Later in the afternoon we descend the Bridge to Bridge section of the Futaleufu. We will take turns on the oars on some of the rapids as each participant has a chance of guiding the team through the Class III/IV rapids. Our guides will be on the oars as they guide us through for the first run of the Class V "Mas o Manos" and "Casa de Piedra."
Day 6 Wednesday: Raft Guide Training - Bridge to Bridge*
Two entire training runs on the Heart of the Futaleufu. Rescue class participants will alternate between the oars on the catarafts and the stern mount oars on the paddle rafts with other participants as their crew.
Day 7 Thursday: Raft Guide Training - Terminator*
We start at Campo Tres Monjas as we head down for a complete descent of the lower Futaleufu; 21 kilometers of challenging whitewater. We group scout the "Terminator" as our team threads the needle. After this Class V rapid, we continue to rotate our team through the oars increasing your time guiding oars. This day is a full day of rafting, taking out after the "El Macal" section, passing the technical Class V "Casa de Piedra" and "Mas o Menos" rapids. During dinner we will have the opportunity for video review of our runs, critique and diagrams of strategies and memorization of the danger spots to avoid. We will discuss the action plan for the following day of rapids and how to get the team around the two rapids we will portage.
Day 8 Friday: Raft Guide Training - Infierno Canyon (Class V)*/on to Trevelin, Argentina
We take our entire class for an early morning descent of the world class "Infierno Canyon" (dependent on water levels). This descent will require the best efforts and attention of the entire team. We will ghost raft the Class V "Zeta" and the "Throne Room" rapids. We will take out at Camp, deflate rafts, and carry gear back to our vehicles, learning every part of being a guide. Our vehicles will be waiting to take us across the border and into Trevelin after the Graduation ceremonies. Check into your hotel, take a shower and change clothes before enjoying your last night in Patagonia. There are several outstanding and reasonably priced restaurants in Trevelin that we can recommend. Relax, recover and look back on the exciting week of kayaking before heading back the following morning.
Day 9 Saturday: Return to Capital City
Depending on your connections you are now are in Argentina ready for an early departure in a cab from your hotel to the bus station in Esquel for the trip to Bariloche and your flight back to Beunos Aires. A private transfer can be arranged direct from your hotel to the airport in Bariloche. If you have a flight from Esquel you have the morning to enjoy and buy gifts in Trevelin before your 2 pm flight to Buenos Aires and the connection back to your home country.
Day 10 Sunday: Return home
Eco Camp Campo Tres Monjas
| Price per Person: $1995.00 USD |
Special Flexibilities: Exchile will be flexible to make your trip a total success. The actual program for your custom trip will vary according to the desires and skill level of your group, weather, or other factors. Patagonia has constantly changing weather patterns that might affect what day is best for a certain activity. If a certain part of your trip is not possible due to danger risks and weather extremes, our experienced guide staff will work with you to figure out the best possible option to substitute for the weather complications. If you have any concerns, please feel free to ask us more about the situations and what is guaranteed on the trip.
Included: Your described trip, guiding, instruction, activity equipment, local transportation, shuttles, all meals, wine with dinner, acomodations at our eco-camps, cabins, ranches or lodges, while on your trip. We offer a free pick up on Sunday mornings at 9 am in Trevelin at your hotel, and drop off to your hotel in Trevelin, Argentina on Fridays at 9 pm. See the packing list of your activity, for the specific clothing that is required.
Not Included: Transportation to and from your home town, and your accommodations and meals in Trevelin Argentina or alternate trip pick up point. You can reserve and prepay on the web your transport from your final air destination, to and from your pick up-drop off point before and after your trip, or you can direct us to charge your visa card and do it for you. We higly recommended having exchile make hotel reserves in Trevelin. (room capacity in this small village is limited). Expediciones Chile is not financially responsible for your travel complications getting to your trip pick up point and from the drop off point, HOWEVER, we will be relentless allies in offering our services to help solve any issues that you may encounter.
